My Story Timeline
I write about the true stories behind my images and share them on my site. One day, I might write about birds; the next, about an insect; and the following day, I might focus on a specific location. Each of these stories revolves around nature, my connection to it, or my concerns about preserving our natural world. This journal primarily serves as a collection of factual accounts from my journeys in the field.
While my primary passion is for birds, since everything in nature is interconnected, I photograph everything and write about it all. My life has always been intertwined with nature, and I hope it always will be.
Best wishes,
Mia
White Balance Mistakes On A White Ibis
After my experience with screwing my white balance up that day I had to make a note to myself to remember to check my white balance setting on the camera.
Snow, Bison Plus Chukars on Antelope Island State Park
When I first visited Antelope Island State Park I fell in love with its wild beauty, the windswept grasslands, pungent sagebrush, awesome views of the Great Salt Lake and the wildlife that abounds there.
Brown Pelicans – Feeding Behaviors and Identification
Brown Pelicans feed by diving head first into the water to trap fish in the pouches of their bills.
Fish Crows
Fish Crows are fairly commonplace along the coast of Pinellas County and they are often ignored by photographers because they are a "plain" common bird.
An Amazing Encounter…Or Two With A Young Bald Eagle
I've found Bald Eagles difficult to approach most of the time which is why a long lens is often needed. But not this one year old bald eagle.
Bald Eagles – Age Progression From One To Five Years Old
A simple guide to aging Bald Eagles by their plumage development, legs and their bills with images showing the age progression.
Horned Larks In Utah
Yesterday was awesome for Horned Larks (Eremophila alpestris) in Tooele County, Utah.
Side Lit Coyotes
Yesterday I was tickled to spot not just one but a pair of coyotes on the causeway going to Antelope Island State Park
Northern Shovelers blasting off
This morning when we had almost reached Antelope Island I spotted a huge flock of Northern Shovelers blasting off from the water
So Ya Think Ya Want To Be A Bird Photographer?
Be prepared to become addicted to birds. You will have withdrawals if you don't shoot often enough, your shutter button finger will develop a nervous twitch
Bye Bye Blackbirds? The USDA Is Killing Birds With DRC-1339
Recently the USDA accepted responsibility for a smaller die off in South Dakota which brought to light a little known program called "Bye bye Blackbird" which uses DRC-1339, a poison that is also called an avicide.
The Importance of Honest Self Critique in Bird Photography
I've enjoyed photography for a long time but for quite awhile I didn't understand the value or importance of honest self critique.
Reddish Egret, Laughing and Ring-billed Gulls
There were quite a few Laughing Gulls on and near the shoreline, a few Ring-billed Gulls and two Reddish Egrets hunting on the beach that day.
Gray Days
Gray days sometimes force me to slow down, to take a deep breath and they allow me the luxury of liesurely looking through my older image files
Bald Eagle – Second Year
This is a second year Bald Eagle, and while the adult birds are probably the most photographed, I enjoy photographing all ages & phases of plumage of bald eagles.
If Only…
Taking the time to review my "bad images" strengthens me as a photographer.
Northern & Loggerhead Shrikes
Today was a good day, I finally took some images of a Northern Shrike (Lanius excubitor) that weren't taken from too far away.
Ring-necked Pheasant
Male Ring-necked Pheasants are very colorful and sport red face wattles, iridescent ear tufts, the white neck ring and bronze colored chest and back with barring. I remember my grandfather using the pheasant feathers for the flies that he tied.
Bald Eagle and Depth of Field
I believe these two eagle pictures illustrate what changes the depth of field settings can have on the appearance of an image.
Northern Harrier Expelling A Pellet
This Northern Harrier took about a minute to expel the pellet and I filled my buffer several times trying to catch all the action. The harrier appeared to be concentrating so hard on regurgitating the pellet that it nearly fell off of the fence.
Northern Harrier Wingtip Repair
There are times when I think an image might be worth a little extra work in post processing and this young male Northern Harrier image seemed worth the effort to repair a clipped wingtip.
Hidden Treasures
As a bird photographer I often strive for images where the subjects are out in the open, without distractions in the fore or background, but as with any photographic "rule", they are made to be broken.
Ghostly Coyote
This Coyote standing on a hillside in the dense fog in particular looked more ghostly to me than the others I found.
Black-headed Grosbeaks In Montana
This male Black-headed Grosbeak (Pheucticus melanocephalus) sure caught my eye with its beautiful orange, black and white plumage.
Roseate Spoonbills
Cotton candy pink... are the descriptive words I thought of when I saw my first Roseate Spoonbill.
Laughing Gulls
Laughing Gulls are quite common on the east and Gulf coastlines of the US, during breeding season they are usually found near saltwater but in nonbreeding season they are known to wander widely.
Lazuli Bunting Males
Male Lazuli Buntings resemble bluebirds but they are smaller and the blues are a different hue than the Mountain, Eastern and Western Bluebirds.
Eared Grebe – Gray Day
Eared Grebes are the most abundant grebe in North America, there are times I see huge flocks of them on the Great Salt Lake numbering in the tens of thousands.
Short-eared Owl In A Fog
I hope to find some Short-eared Owls this winter in Utah, I think that some snow would make for a lovely setting for these delightful & enchanting birds.
Adult Burrowing Owl Blur
This blur was not intentional, but I do like the effect caused by the head of the Burrowing Owl spinning. Makes me dizzy just viewing the photo!